PORTABLE MULTI-COMPARTMENT CHEMICAL STORAGE AND MIXING TANK

Abstract: A portable holding and mixing tank system for at least two dissimilar liquids includes a tank having an interior space and a dividing wall which establishes at least two fluid-isolated holding compartments within the tank interior space for respectively holding a respective one of the dissimilar liquids. A manifold assembly defines respective channels for the dissimilar liquids and for pressurizing fluid supplied from a source thereof. The liquid and pressurizing fluid channels are fluid-connected to each of the holding compartments. A pressurizing supply conduit fluid-connects the source of pressurizing fluid to pressurizing fluid channel, while liquid supply risers respectively fluid-connect the dissimilar liquids contained in each of the holding compartments to the liquid channel defined by the manifold assembly. A liquid discharge port fluid-connects the liquid channel defined by the manifold assembly. As a result, the dissimilar liquids within each of the holding compartments are forcibly introduced by means of the pressurizing fluid therewithin into the liquid channel defined by the manifold assembly and are mixed with one another within the liquid channel prior to discharge through the discharge port.

Description: Portable Multi-Compartment Chemical Storage And Mixing Tank This invention is related to the field of liquid storage tanks and mixing systems. In preferred forms, the present invention is embodied in a closed tank system (i.e., the tank is not open to the ambient environment) which permits storage of at least two dissimilar liquid agricultural chemicals and, just prior to application, will allow a metered mixture of such chemicals to be dispensed to an agricultural applicator. It is oftentimes desirable to apply agricultural chemicals to crops so as to stimulate crop growth, control pests, alleviate crop disease or the like. However, since agricultural chemicals are not universally effective for all desired purposes, it is typically necessary for individual chemicals to be applied sepa¬ rately to crop fields. Such a multiple application technique, of course, increases the time needed in order to apply the individ¬ ual chemicals to the crop fields and/or requires dedicated multi- pie application equipment to apply the chemicals simultaneously. As a direct result, therefore, application efficiency of the agricultural chemicals is diminished, while the cost associated with application is increased. Premixing of the agricultural chemicals in desired ratios so that a single application pass over the crop field is an attractive alternative to the abovedescribed multiple pass application tech¬ nique. However, there are several real and nontrivial problems associated with premixing of agricultural chemicals. For example, many agricultural chemicals are not shelf-stable when mixed with one another. As a practical matter, therefore, such mixture in¬ stability precludes an agricultural chemical manufacturer from supplying end users with dissimilar agricultural chemicals pre- mixed to desired application ratios. Furthermore, the premixed agricultural chemicals would be subject to government registration procedures requiring, for example, user toxicological and product chemistry studies to be conducted prior to actual use even though each of the agricultural chemicals in the mixture have individually been registered. An exception under the government registration procedures exists, however, if the premixed agricultural chemicals can be supplied to their point of use and transferred to the crop applicator equipment without exposure to the user. Thus, even if it is assumed for the moment that the agricultural chemicals are stor¬ age-stable in the mixture, there is currently no known commer¬ cially viable means whereby the premixed agricultural chemicals can be stored and transferred to crop applicator equipment via a "closed" system — i.e., a system which precludes exposure of the user to the premixed chemicals during the storage and transfer procedures . What has been needed, therefore, is a system whereby functionally and/or chemically dissimilar agricultural chemicals may be stored separately of one another in a self-contained tank, yet mixed in a desired ratio prior to crop application. It would furthermore be highly desirable if such a system could transfer the mixture of agricultural chemicals to crop applicator equipment without exposure to the end-user (i.e., so that the self-contained stor¬ age and mixing tank cold qualify as a "closed" system for pur¬ poses of government regulatory rules) . It is towards fulfilling such needs that the present invention is directed. Broadly, the present invention is embodied in a self-contained pressurized and portable tank system whereby dissimilar agri¬ cultural chemicals can be stored separately of one another, yet are mixed at a selected ratio in response to transferal of the chemicals to crop applicator equipment. More specifically, the present invention is embodied in a portable holding and mixing tank system for liquid chemicals which includes a tank having an interior space and a dividing wall establishing at least two fluid-isolated holding compartments within the tank interior space for respectively holding respective liquid chemicals. A manifold assembly defines respective channels for the liquid chemicals and for pressurizing fluid supplied from a source thereof. The liquid and pressurizing fluid channels are fluid- connected to each of the holding compartments. A pressurizing supply conduit fluid-connects the source of pressurizing fluid to pressurizing fluid channel, while liquid supply risers respec¬ tively fluid connect the liquid chemicals contained in each of the holding compartments to the liquid channel defined by the manifold assembly. A liquid discharge port fluid-connects the liquid channel defined by the manifold assembly. As a result, the liquid chemicals within each of the holding compartments are forcibly introduced by means of the pressurizing fluid therewithin into the liquid channel defined by the manifold assembly and are mixed with one another within the liquid channel prior to discharge through the discharge port. These, as well as other, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more clear after careful consideration is given to the detailed description of the preferred exemplary em¬ bodiment thereof which follows. Reference will hereinafter be made to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numeral throughout the various FIGURES de¬ note like structural elements, and wherein: FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the multi-compartment tank system in accordance with the present invention during an opera¬ tion whereby a mixture of the individual agricultural chemicals contained thereby is transferred to crop applicator equipment; FIGURE 2 is an elevational view, partly in section, of the multi- compartment tank system in accordance with the present invention; FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional plan view of a pressurization/mix- ing manifold assembly employed with the multi-compartment tank system in accordance with the present invention; FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional elevational view of the manifold assembly shown in FIGURE 3 as taken along line 3-3 therein; and FIGURE 5 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a preferred transfer coupling associated with the transfer conduit employed with the multi-compartment tank system in accordance with the present invention. Accompanying FIGURE 1 depicts schematincally the multi-compart¬ ment tank system 1 in accordance with the present invention dur¬ ing an operation whereby a mixture of the individual agricultural chemicals contained thereby is transferred to a wheeled supply tank 2 associated with crop applicator equipment 3. As is well known, the crop applicator equipment 3 may be moved across the crop field 4 by any suitable vehicle, such as by the agricultural tractor 5 shown in FIGURE 1. The crop applicator equipment 3 will typically include an application spray boom 6 so that the liquid agricultural chemicals within the supply tank 2 may be applied to the crop field 4 at the desired application rate. The multi-compartment tank system 1 in accordance with this in¬ vention may be brought physically onto the crop field by any suitable vehicle, such as by the flat bed truck 7 shown. Thus, the tank system 1 cold be filled with the desired chemicals by the chemical manufacturer at its manufacturing facility or at a prearranged supply terminal, and thereafter shipped directly to the user. The user would then transfer the contents of the tank system 1 to the supply tank 2 of the crop applicator equipment 3 using a flexible transfer conduit 8 equipped with a one-way flow coupling 9 (to be discussed in greater detail below) . The entire tank system 1 could then be returned by the end user to the manufacture for refilling purposes once the agricultural chemicals contained in the tank system 1 had been emptied into the supply tank 2. The structural components associated with the tank system 1 in accordance with the present invention are more clearly shown in accompanying FIGURE 2. In this regard, the tank system 1 will in¬ clude a tank 10 having the desired geometrical configuration and volumetric capacity to contain two dissimilar agricultural chemicals 11 and 12. An interior dividing wall 13 subdivides the interior space of the tank 10 into two chemical holding compart- ments 14 and 15 for respectively holding the agricultural chemicals 11 and 12. The compartments 14 and 15 are, moreover, isolated from one another by virtue of the dividing wall 13 so as to prevent premature mixing of the agricultural chemicals 11 and 12. It will, of course, be realized by those skilled in the art that more than two such compartments may be provided so as to hold more than two dissimilar chemicals, in which case further dividing walls 13 would be present within the interior of the tank 10. The tank 10 is provided with chemical supply ports 16 and 17 which allow the agricultural chemicals to be introduced into the holding compartments 14 and 15, respectively. Each of the supply ports 16 and 17 is closed by means of a vapor-tight cover 18 and 19 so as to prevent escape of the agricultural chemicals 11 and 12, respectively. The liquid level of each of the agricultural chemicals 11 and 12 within the holding compartments 14 and 15 may be determined by float level indicators 20, 21 which respectively include a level float 22, 23 disposed within each of the holding compartments 14 and 15, and opperatively connected to a sight level gauge 24, 25 disposed on the exterior of the tank 10. The tank 10 is most preferably supported by pairs of support posts 26, 27 which are rigidly connected to the tank 10 at upper ends thereof and to a support platform 28 at lower ends thereof. The support poses 26, 27 are, moreover, of a sufficient length to provide for space to accommodate a cylinder 29 containing a source of pressurizing fluid (e.g., nitrogen gas) which serves to contain the liquid agricultural chemicals 11 and 12 under pres¬ sure and allows them to be forcibly transferre- ' to the supply tank 2 associated with the crop applicator eq ent 3 without necessarily requiring mechanical pumping means. 5 A manifold assembly 30 is mounted onto the tank 10 and is prefer¬ ably contained within a security cover 31 (see also FIGURE 1) to prevent unauthorized dispensing and/or tampering with the con¬ tents of the tank 10. As will be described in greater detail be- 10 low, the manifold 30 distributively fluid-connects the pressuriz¬ ing fluid of the cylinder 29 to each of the holding compartments 14 and 15 as well as providing a means by which the liquid agri¬ cultural chemicals 11 and 12 may simultaneously be withdrawn from their respective holding compartments 14 and 15, mixed with one 15 another and then transferred via the transfer conduit 8 to the spray tank 2 associated with the crop applicator equipment 3. In this regard, the pressurizing fluid contained within the cylinder 29 is supplied to the manifold assembly 30 via the pressurizing riser 32, while each of the liquid agricultural chemicals 11 and 20 12 is supplied separately to the manifold assembly 30 via liquid supply risers 33 and 34, respectively. The liquid supply risers 33, 34 may be open at their lower ends and submerged below the liquid level of the agricultural chemicals 11 and 12, respec¬ tively. However, for purposes of structural integrity, it is pre- 25 ferred that each of the risers 33, 34 extend completely through the interior of the respective holding compartments 14 and 15, with inlet apertures 35 and 36 being provided near the bottom of tank 10. The pressurizing riser 32 is fluid-connected to the cyl¬ inder 29 via supply conduit 37 provided with a shut-off valve 38. 0 The structural details of the manifold assembly 30 are better shown in accompanying FIGURES 3 and . As is seen, the manifold assembly 30 includes a housing block 39 which establishes inte¬ rior liquid and gas distribution channels 40 and 41, respec- 5 tively. The gas distribution channel 42 is fluid-connected to a gas-receiving port 43 and, depending upon the number of isolated holding chambers within the interior of tank 10, to a pair of gas-discharge ports 44 and 45, the latter in turn-being fluid- connected with the holding compartments 14 and 15 via nipples 46 0 and 47, respectively (see FIGURE 2) . On the other hand, the liq¬ uid distribution channel 40 is fluid-connected to each of the liquid supply risers 33, 34 via inlet ports 48, 49, respectively, and to a mixing unit 42 via discharge port 50. 5 A restrictive orifice 51 may be disposed in inlet port 48 so that the desired volume of liquid agricultural chemical 11 is supplied to the distribution channel 40 and mixed in proper ratio to the liquid agricultural chemical 12 supplied via inlet port 49. Addi¬ tionally or alternatively, metering of the liquid agricultural chemicals may be provided by metering screws 52, 53 threadably coupled within the distribution channel 40. One-way flow valves 5 54, 55 are disposed in the liquid distribution channel 40 between the inlet ports 48, 49 and the discharge port 50, so as to pre¬ vent lack-flow of the agricultural chemicals 11 and 12, respec¬ tively. 10 Since the liquid agricultural chemicals 11 and 12 are introduced into the distribution channel 40 in direct axial opposition to one another, some mixing will occur prior to being discharged from the manifold 30 via discharge port 56. However, it is pre¬ ferred that a further mixing unit 42 be fluid connected at its 15 inlet and discharge nipples 57 and 58 to the discharge port 50 and a proximal shut-off valve 59. Most preferably, the inlet and discharge nipples 57, 58, respectively will be oriented at right angles to one another. As a result, the preliminarily mixed liq¬ uid agricultural chemicals 11 and 12 discharged from port 50 will 20 enter the mixing chamber (not shown) defined within the mixing unit 42 and, by virtue of the right angle orientation of the in¬ let and discharge nipples 57 and 58, respectively, will be fur¬ ther mixed in a turbulent manner therewithin. The now thoroughly mixed agricultural chemicals 11, 12 will then flow through the 25 transfer conduit 8 to the spray tank 2 associated with the crop applicator equipment 3. The flow of the mixed agricultural chemicals can be ascertained visually by a suitable flow meter 60 (see FIGURE 2) . 30 The one-way flow coupling 9 provided at the distal end of the transfer conduit 8 is shown specifically in accompanying FIGURE 5. In this regard, a distal shut-off valve 61 is disposed in-line with the transfer coupling 8 and serves to complement the shut- off functions provided by the proximal valve 59 depicted in FIG- 35 URE 3. The flow coupling 9 is most preferably a female coupling 62 which mates with the male coupling 63 associated with the sup¬ ply nipple 64 of the supply tank 2. Flow stops 65 and 66 are dis¬ posed in the couplings 62, 63 and are maintained in a fluid-tight seal therewithin by virtue of tension and compression springs 67, 40 68, respectively. Therefore, when disconnected or when the mix¬ ture of agricultural chemicals 11 and 12 is not flowing within the transfer conduit 8 (e.g., by virtue of the shut-off valves 59 and/or 61 being closed) , the flow stops will be seated in a fluid-tight manner within the couplings 62 and 63, respectively. 45 However, under influence of the flow of agricultural chemical mixture, each of the flow stops 65 and 66 will unseat against the bias force of their respective springs 67 and 63 be thereby al- lowing the agricultural chemical mixture to be introduced into the supply tank 2. In such a manner, the mixture of agricultural chemicals may be introduced into the supply tank 2 without expo¬ sure to the user. In use, the pressurizing fluid will be transferred from the cyl¬ inder 29 and distributed equally between the holding compartments 14 and 15 by virtue of the manifold assembly 30. As a result, when a mixture of the agricultural chemicals 11 and 12 is desired to be introduced to the supply tank 2, the flow coupling 9 associated with the transfer conduit 8 will be mated with the coupling 63 associated with the supply tank's nipple 64. The valves 59 and 61 may then be opened. Since the liquid agri¬ cultural chemicals 11 and 12 within each of the holding compart- ments 14 and 15 will be under substantially equivalent pressure by virtue of the pressurizing fluid, they will each be forcibly expelled from the holding compartments 14 and 15, through risers 33, 34, respectively. Metering of the flow of liquid agricultural chemicals 11 and 12 is provided by the orifice 51 and/or via me- tering screws 52, 53. so that the proper desired ratio of agri¬ cultural chemicals are mixed within channel 40 and the mixing unit 42. As can now be appreciated, the present invention provides a "closed" system whereby at least two dissimilar liquid agri¬ cultural chemicals may be stored in isolation to one another. Moreover, the present invention allows such agricultural chemicals, or other dissimilar liquids, to be mixed in a "closed" system just prior to usage without endangering the user with ex- posure to such mixture. As a consequence, many (if not all) of the problems noted previously with respect to mixtures of agri¬ cultural chemicals can be alleviated by virtue of this invention. However, while the present invention has been described in con- nection with what is presently considered to be the most practi¬ cal and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims: CLAIMS: 8 1. A portable holding and mixing tank system for at least two dissimilar liquids comprising: a tank having an interior space and a dividing wall which establishes at least two fluid-isolated holding compartments interior space for respectively holding a respective one of said dissimilar liquids; a source of pressurizing fluid; a manifold assembly defining respective channels for said dissimilar liquids and said pressurizing fluid which are fluid-connected to each of said holding compartments; a pressurizing supply conduit which fluid-connects said source of pressurizing fluid to said pressurizing fluid chan- nel; liquid supply risers each of which fluid-connects a respec¬ tive one of said dissimilar liquids contained in said holding compartments to said liquid channel defined by said manifold assembly; and a liquid discharge port fluid-connected to said liquid chan¬ nel defined by said manifold assembly; wherein said at least two dissimilar liquids within each said holding compartment are forcibly introduced by means of said pressur¬ izing fluid therewithin into said liquid channel defined by said manifold assembly and are mixed with one another within said liquid channel prior to discharge through said discharge port. 2. A system as in claim 1, further comprising a mixing unit fluid-connected to said discharge port for enhancing the mix¬ ing of said dissimilar liquids discharged thereinto. A system as in claim 2, wherein said mixing unit has an inlet nipple fluid-connected to said discharge port, and a dis¬ charge nipple, and wherein said inlet and discharge nipples are oriented substantially at right angles to one another. 4. A system as in claim 1, wherein said liquid supply risers are rigid conduits extending entirely through said tank interior space, and include an inlet aperture disposed near a bottom end thereof. 5 5. A system as in claim 1, further comprising a single pressur¬ izing fluid supply conduit extending entirely through said tank interior space which fluid-connects said source of pres¬ surizing fluid to said pressurizing fluid channel, and 10 wherein said pressurizing fluid channel is fluid-connected to each of said holding compartments so that said pressurizing fluid supplied by said single pressurizing fluid supply con¬ duit is distributed substantially equally therebetween. 15 6. A system as in claim 1, further comprising level gauges for allowing visual determination of liquid level within each of said holding compartments. 7. A system as in claim 1, wherein said manifold assembly in- 20 eludes a metering structure for metering at least one of said dissimilar liquids in relation to another of said dissimilar liquids. 8. A system as in claim 7, wherein said metering structure is a 25 restrictive orifice. 9. A system as in claim 7, wherein said metering structure is a metering screw. 30 10. A system as in claim 1, wherein said manifold assembly in¬ cludes one-way flow valves disposed in said liquid channel for preventing back-flow of said dissimilar liquids into said holding compartments. 35 11. A system as in claim 1, further comprising a flexible transfer conduit fluid connectable at a proximal end thereof to said discharge port and includes at a distal end thereof a flow coupling for fluid-connecting said transfer conduit to another tank. 40 12. A system as in claim 11, wherein said flow coupling includes a flow stop which forms a fluid-tight seal in the absence of liquid flow through said transfer conduit. 45 13. A system as in claim 12, wherein said flow coupling includes a bias spring for biasing said flow stop in a direction to form said fluid-tight seal. 14. A system as in claim 13, wherein said biasing spring is a tension spring. 15. A system as in claim 1, wherein said tank includes supply ports for allowing dissimilar liquids to be introduced sepa- rately into said holding compartments. 16. A system as in claim 15, wherein each of said supply ports includes a removable cover.

Inventors: ROACH MATTHEW N, STAPENSEA NEIL, WEBSTER JON, ROACH, MATTHEW, N., STAPENSEA, NEIL, WEBSTER, JON
Applicants: BASF AG, BASF CORP, BASF AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, BASF CORPORATION
Application year: 1994
Main classification: A01M7
IPC codes: A01M7, B01F5, B01F13, B01F15, B60P3